Bataks can contribute to Indonesian democracy

Bataks can contribute to Indonesian democracy

JAKARTA (JP): The social system of the Bataks, the largest
tribe in North Sumatra, places its members in a position to help
develop democracy in Indonesia.

There is one major drawback however -- the Bataks aren't
assertive enough and this has somewhat minimized their influence
in the nation building process.

This was revealed during a seminar on tribalism and
nationalism as applied to the Batak people. The one-day
discussion, held as part of the on-going Portraits of Batak
photographic exhibition, presented Harry Tjan Silalahi, a noted
political analyst, and Eros Jarot, an artist cum journalist, as
speakers.

Both agreed that the Batak's open society could be used as the
foundation for the democratic system that is now being developed
in Indonesia.

Unfortunately, they said, many Bataks who hold positions of
influence, including those in the government, lose some of these
democratic qualities.

This is because Bataks tend to be indecisive, they said.

"Batak people are democratic, but indecisive. They cannot take
a quick and just action when the situation calls for it," said
Silalahi, vice chairman of the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS).

Eros, an editor of the defunct DeTIK tabloid, noted that most
high-ranking Batak officials tend to retreat at critical moments.
"When they are needed to take a decisive action, most of them
simply retreat."

Silalahi, a Javanese-Chinese descendant who has long been
baptized as a Batak member, noted that the strong brotherhood
among Batak people is another good quality of the tribe.

He warned the Batak people that this quality, if not managed
well, could lead them to tribalism which could undermine the
national unity.

He suggested that the Batak people work to improve their image
and correct the misperception existing among other tribes that
the Bataks as rough and intolerant people.

"I could understand that. Some of my friends even told me that
Batak are very difficult to manage," Silalahi said.

He noted that Batak culture is "macho" and paternalistic, to
the point where it considers women only to be "child-producing
machines."

"There is even a prayer which says shall you be blessed with
17 sons and 16 daughters," Silalahi said. He proposed such a
prayer should be changed since it is not relevant with the
current situation.

B.N. Marbun, a Batak legislator, welcomed the criticisms of
his people because they would serve to remind them that the Batak
people were becoming unpopular among Indonesians.

Marbun said Batak is one of Indonesia's three tribes with that
has innate entrepreneurial skills, along with the Minang from
West Sumatra and Bugis from South Sulawesi.

Batak people are spreading through Indonesia, even around the
world, according to Marbun. He says, of the three million Bataks,
almost half live outside their homeland of North Sumatra.

Businessman Sopar Panjaitan shared Marbun's view, saying that
Batak culture is very adaptive to economic modern changes,
especially in the field of management technology.

Panjaitan, a director of PT Pipa Mas Putih, attributes the
success of his company to his own Batak background. PT Pipa Mas
Putih is one of only a few Indonesian companies which is
certified by the International Standard Organization (ISO.)

He said the Batak culture of leadership, known as Dalihan Na
Tolu (three stones of fireplace), is strongly associated with
ISO, which requires leaders to play many different roles.

"I have applied the Batak culture of Dalihan Na Tolu in my
company. I sometimes act as a leader, sometimes as a brother and
sometimes as a friend, never as a boss. The ISO needs all these
kinds of relationships. And it ends up making us very
successful." (11)